Baby Girl
by klutzy-ginger
Summary: When the new girl disappears without a trace, it's up to the BAU to discover who's responsible…
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

There is a darkness inside of me. I don't know how much longer I can contain it before it consumes me. The urges in a young adults mind. The fantasies that should remain unspoken. The desire for something more than just what is possessed.

At the age of 20 years, I am considered to be morbidly obese. Overweight all my life, it's fucked up to say the least. All I can think about is how there is nothing out there for me. I'm fat, ugly and will remain single my whole life. There is just no escaping that fact. My heart has never felt more empty and alone. When I'm not around my small collection of friends, I sit alone in my room, trying to avoid the annoyances. It's a lonely life but I get by, I guess… Today is no exception to the rule. I got up around 10:04 am and did my normal routine. Went down to the kitchen, listening to the floor creak from the distribution of weight of the worn down floor boards. The creaking always made me uneasy. I used to imagine our home was haunted but now I know it's just because it's contemplating falling in. I walked into the kitchen and got whatever I could find in the fridge. Generally there was nothing in there that was good, but I would just suffice for something. Today's choice: a few left over pancakes that had way too much of something in them and a cup of sugar free strawberry jell-o. I don't really enjoy pancakes but these ones were just bad. It tasted like someone had dumped sugar into the mix which just made them taste like something that was past its expiration date. Jell-o has never really bothered me any. It's not like it's enough to thrive on for breakfast, but it tasted better than the pancakes that was for sure.

I started to head towards the dishwasher, a daily chore of mine, when I realize that I forgot to bring my phone down with me. I can survive without my phone on my person, but I just like to have it, in case something should happen. I popped back into my room to retrieve it and noticed a text from an acquaintance of mine.

"hey" it simply read. This acquaintance was always full of short words. He was really hard to hold conversation with via texts. I hate one word texters.

"good morning" I responded.

"how r u" he asked. His texts are irritating. You're almost 21, sir; learn how to type out entire words.

"I'm good. Just got out of bed. How are you?" I replied to him. Then, I waited. He was notorious for spontaneously failing to respond to texts. After waiting for a minute or so, I returned to the kitchen to do the dishwasher. Once I was done with that, I walked once again across the creaking floor to head down stairs to do a load of laundry. Suddenly, I felt my phone vibrate.

_Oh… my head…_ I woke up with a pounding ache in the back of my head. Opening my eyes, I looked into a black empty void… _Where am I?_ I tried to get up off of what I where I was laying only to realize that I was restrained. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I was able to make out blurry shapes around me. My glasses were gone so I had to squint to see anything clearly. I appeared to be in a bedroom of some kind. There was a large bureau sitting in my frontal view. It appeared to be covered in some pieces of fabric, possibly torn. There were a few bottles as well… I looked over to my left. There was a wall covered with some wallpaper. It looked like it was from the 1960's, some dingy floral print that I imagined I would find in my grandmother's house. I tugged my left arm to see if I could find the source of what was binding me. _Ouch…_ I could feel the hair being ripped from my arm. _Duct tape… great…_ My head continued to pound ever few moments as I continued to assess my surroundings. Turning my head to the right, I saw a nightstand. _Aha! My glasses!_ They were sitting on the stand next to me… The one lenses was cracked.. Unfortunately, whoever had brought me here had no intention of letting me leave. I moved again, feeling the hairs being ripped out of my pores on my arms.

Cringing, I attempted to kick my feet, only to find that they were also bound, once at the ankles and the also at my knees. I almost resembled a mermaid that hangs on the bow of a pirate ship. My arms, bound to the headboard and my legs manufacturally fused together. Pulling and tugging on my arms only hurt. There had to have been at least five layers of duct tape attaching me to the bed frame.

"HELP! ANYONE! IS THERE ANYONE THERE?" I cried, feeling a sense of helplessness in the pit of my stomach. I didn't know how I got there… I couldn't remember what I had done earlier that day that would have put me in this position.

Suddenly, a sound from the darkness emerged. It was a laugh… or a cackle… It sounded evil… I focused my eyes in to the area where the sound came from. A shadow moved. My heart began to beat, loud and fast. _Thump… thump… thump thump thump. _I could feel warmth slide down my face. A few tears fell from my eyes and flowed down my cheeks… "P..p..please… Let.. let me go…" I whimpered as a few more tears fell from my eyes. The shadow laughed again, moving closer to me…

"What will you do for me?" the voice responded. My heart stopped. I knew that voice. Or at least, I thought I did. It sounded like an old friend. "Hmm? What are you willing to do for your freedom?" He retorted again.

"I.. I… Anything… please.. don't hurt me…" The fear was running through my veins. He came out of the darkness holding a small knife, covered in a dark liquid. My heart sank.. I knew him… I knew what he wanted…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

My phone suddenly began to ring. I jumped up, loosing grip of my phone and letting it fall underneath the bookshelf of hacking books I had been reading up on. _Shit!_ I jumped down reaching my arm as far under the bookshelf as possible, getting stuck halfway under due to my fat arms. There it went again… If I don't find this damn phone, I'm never going to forgive myself. With a last ditch effort, I decided I could EASILY pick up all the books from my bookshelf rather than miss this call. With an aggressive heave, I pushed the bookshelf over, hearing the thud echo throughout the house… Luckily there was no one there to hear it other than me. _Finally!_ I held sight of my phone and reached for it. The number was blocked… Odd. Oh well. I picked it up hit the button to answer…

"Hello?"

"Ahem.. Is this Ms. Penelope Garcia?" the voice sounded direct and in control, almost as if it were a drill sergeant commanding his troops. I felt a glimmer of joy sweep through me.

"Yes, sir this is." I responded with bubbly enthusiasm. This could be what I was waiting for.

"Okay. This is Agent Aaron Hotchner. I'm with the Behavioral Analysts Unit. I've come across your application and would like to have you come in for an interview." He said, seemingly shuffling some papers.

My heart stopped. My application? He was actually looking at my application… Out of all the things he was looking at, at this very moment, he was holding my homemade pink application. A smile fell on my face. "Ohh… Umm, yes! Yes, I am completely available to come in for an interview sir… Just name the time and place and I'll be there!" I could barely contain my excitement. This wasn't the first time that the BAU had contacted me… Apparently, I was on some FBI list and they had been interested in me…

"Okay, good." He continued to rattle of information for me about when and where we could meet. I just sat on the floor, surrounded by the books that had toppled off the bookshelf, writing down details with my feather tipped pen.

"Thank you so much sir. You have no idea how much this means to me! I will see you soon!" I practically screamed into the phone. Agent Hotchner sent his regards and then I heard this click of his phone. I leaned back into the pile of books and kicked my feet like a little girl learning to swim. The excitement I felt was euphoric. I could have just laid there in that state forever. Once I finally made myself get up, I looked at the toppled over bookshelf and sighed. Sometimes, my excitement got the better of me.

Picking up the books, I couldn't help but smile. Perhaps this was finally the change in my life I was waiting for. I've been battling problem after problem for so long, physically, emotionally and spiritually. For once, my life might be going right. After losing my parents just two years ago, I found that life was too menial to do anything. I dropped out of school and just shunned myself in my room, only coming out looking for new books to read. Books about computers. I was good with computers… Actually, I was good at breaking computers. Or at least, the defenses that surrounded them. I could break down barriers in a matter of seconds, regardless of who put them up. I hacked into CIA's computer once… I try not to mention it to people… It tends to freak them out when I associate myself with a criminal record… But come on, there are so many secrets the government doesn't like to share with us! (I really wasn't looking for those government conspiracies though. I just wanted to give the Prince a ring on the telly.)

Once the bookshelf was back in the upright position and the books were back in place, I decided that I should head out to do my menial tasks for the day such as grocery shopping and other tasks. The entire time, I walked with a spring in my step, excited for the day to come for my interview…

As he moved closer towards the bed, I could see him clearer. His outline was well-defined, despite the poor source of light in the room. He was around 5'9", weighing in at about 250 lbs. His hair was dark brown, thinly strewn around his face. It stuck to his sweaty forehead. I had known him for years. He was wearing one of his hard rock t-shirts that was too small for him, just as he had for as long as I had known him. He had no self-respect or respect for anyone for that matter. He was desperately seeking something. He sought the love of another. He had tried courting me before, but I had always denied him, trying to be as kind as possible. He just never could get it through his head that I didn't care for him the way he appeared to care for me.

"John… Please…" I cried to him, trying to plead with him to let me out… I tried pulling myself up by the duct tape, trying to get myself in a less helpless position. I was lying down in a bed with my arms bound to the bed posts.

He just shook his head at me, smiling and playing with his knife. It was the one I had bought for him on his 16th birthday. He hadn't had a party or anything… mainly because his grandfather was living off what little money he had earned in his lifetime. There was barely enough there for himself, let alone John. John Haggard. He and I had gone to the same school, never really in the same class up until high school. We became really close in middle school, eventually dating when we were in 8th grade. The relationship didn't last long though. He was clingy, really clingy. He said "I love you" after the 2nd day we dated. He wanted to be around me constantly. He couldn't stand the idea of me being alone with anyone else, especially boys. He used to tell me that it would make him mad when I was around other guys. The anger in his eyes scared me. Even at the age of 12, he had an evil in him that I didn't want to find. However, I knew that I couldn't be with him, regardless of whatever there was in him. I broke it off after 2 weeks. It was then that I realized that we were nothing alike. From the people we befriended to the music we listened to, there were no similarities. It was then that our friendship began to fall apart. Though we remained friends, it was a fragment of what it used to be. I had a hard time looking him in the eyes. It must not have bothered him because he continually looked at me.

I looked up at him, my eyes fixed on him and for once, I couldn't look away. He was still smiling, making his way over to the bed. His feet made little sound as he moved towards me. "Oh Penelope, I love it when you look at me that way…" He honeyed his words as he continued to move closer to me. I tried pulling myself back but my restraints held me where I was.

"W…what do you want?" I asked him, trying to make myself sound more assertive. My feeble voice didn't appear the way that I wanted it to.. If anything, I sounded more powerless than I normally did. His movements became more snakelike, slithering evermore closer to the bed. It was almost like he was trying to drag out the agony I was in. Suddenly, his face disappeared as he lifted his shirt off his body, revealing his lightly haired chest and a somewhat extended stomach. He tossed it across the room, but his eyes turned towards me.

"I want what you've denied me for the past eight years." His voice was no longer sweet and sultry. They were harsh and direct. I could sense a hint of anger in them as he continued. "You… I want you." He held the knife in his hand, spinning it around. I quivered with fear at his words.

"Me?" I asked him, feeling my voice sinking farther back in my throat. Without warning, he jumped on top of me, straddling my bound body with this knife to my throat. He was breathing heavier than normal. His eyes, burning with anger were slowly turning to a shade of black. I felt the blade slowly slicing into my skin as he pushed it closer to my face. The pain was stinging as he got closer to me. I cried out in agony but it came out more like the cry of a small child. He laughed again, pulling the knife away from my neck. I could feel the warm trickle of blood on my neck. He slowly leaned down and licked the blood off my neck. It was a sensation that I had never experienced before and I couldn't tell if it was a pleasurable experience or terrifying. His tongue was soft on my trembling skin as he allowed it to dance across my neck. "What.. what are you doing?" I asked, trying to get him off of me but it was to no avail. He was too heavy for me to move without the use of my arms or legs.

He continued to trace around my neck, despite my constant attempts to move him. He moved his way up my face, slowly moving from just his tongue to small kissing. My insides churned with my helpfulness. He continued to kiss me all over until he finally moved himself to my lips. Inserting his tongue into my mouth, he began to kiss me passionately, prodding me to work with him. "Oh come on…" He was saying through kisses. "Just let go, baby…" I continued to refuse his prods. I was not about to play with his fantasies. He started to fondle me, grabbing my breasts through my bra. There seemed to be frustration written on his face with my dissatisfaction because he reached over me and grabbed a pair of scissors. He began to make small cuts along my shirt, revealing my skin. With every cut he made, he leaned down and tongued it. My body quivered involuntarily. The sensation gave me goose bumps and I felt that he could sense it. Every touch of his tongue was softer than the last, making me shiver.

It took only moments for him to shred my shirt to reveal my bra but it seemed like an eternity. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. I knew what he intended but I could only hope that something would stop him. With a quick snip of the scissors, he sliced my bra in half and slid it off, exposing my entire chest and breasts, my nipples erect. He smiled as he used his tongue to outline my breasts. I couldn't help but shiver at the sensation. Chuckling, he moved towards my lower half, examining the best way to remove the rest of my clothing…

I began to cry, more audible than I had previously. He moved his focus from my skirt to my face again. "Aww… baby girl, don't cry… I promise it won't be that bad…" He began kissing me again, inserting his tongue again, into my mouth, to explore. I bit down at my first opportunity and began to taste the metallic blood that began to drain into my mouth. He cried in agony, pulling his tongue away from my mouth, revealing a deep gash across the center. "YOU BITCH!" He screamed, curling his fingers into a fist and pulling his arm back. Swinging his arm as fast as he could, I felt it crash into my cheek with immense force. Worse still were the rings that he wore which were now planted into my face. I cried out, as he pulled his arm back and swung again, this time, in my abdomen. The force of his fist hitting my stomach knocked the air out of my lungs, causing me to cry out in pain and choke at the same time. This lead him to lead an arsenal of punches, leaving me bruised and bloodied. I cried out, trying to double over in pain. I had never felt the blows of an angry man before and I had a horrible feeling that this was not all that he was capable.

He finally got off me and left the room. I caught glimpse of him as he left. There was blood dripping from his fists. All I could think about was Morgan, wishing with all my might that he would come to save me.. _Please, Derek… Find me. I need you._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

I woke up with a smile plastered on my face. Today was the day; my first day as an FBI Agent in the Behavioral Analyst's Unit. The excitement was overwhelming. Today was the start of a new life for me. I never thought it would come. After the loss of my parents, I never thought that I would see the day where I felt true happiness. But here it was, staring me in the face. I hopped out of bed, and made for my shower. I always did some of my best thinking in the shower. I thought about all the new people I would be working with and what kind of projects we would be dealing with. I knew this job wasn't all fun and games, but I still couldn't hold back my joy.

After my shower, I put on my clothes for the new job… Because I was new on the job, I decided that I should save some of my more eccentric outfits for once they got to know me. I had purchased a new skirt and dress coat for the first day. It definitely was not suited to my tastes. There was no color in it. It just looked bland. Flittering through my drawers, I found a few accessories that might soften the sharpness. First, a bright scarf, dabbled with teals and lavenders. It was definitely eye popping. Then, I found a pair of magenta earrings that complimented the scarf nicely. Last but not least, I found a navy headband to pull my blond hair out of my face.

After being completely accessorized, I grabbed a pair of my glasses that fit the outfit perfectly. They had all of my favorite colors on them. I've always had glasses, but I decided that I would rather have a pair of glasses that fit every occasion rather than one specific pair of glasses that matched nothing. So I ordered a whole bunch of different styles and just asked the company to reproduce my lenses for each set of frames I found. Thankfully they cooperated. I sat down and quickly donned my face with some eyeliner, mascara and a bright lipstick. Just because I couldn't dress like the individual that I wanted to, I could at least wear a little make up to make myself more attractive (especially since I lacked in that department just ever so slightly.)

Stepping into my magenta heels, I left to start off my first day of work. Heels were not my favorite thing to wear but I figured that I needed to show that I was sophisticated enough to work for the FBI. I only hoped that I didn't trip.

I hopped into Esther and sped away to the FBI headquarters in Quantico, Virginia, the parking pass presented to me by Agent Hotchner dangling off my rear-view mirror. My heart was pounding so fast, I could almost see the vibrations in the mirrors. Soon, I was going to meet my team that I would be working with and be shown my desk and everything was going to be wonderful… Agent Hotchner hadn't given me any time to talk to anyone when we did my interview so I really had no idea who any of the people on my team would be. We saw a few in crossing but he never said names.

The BAU was huge. Even though I had been in the building a few times, I still could not get over how enormous it was. There were glass windows enclosing certain areas. I could see inside of meetings, watching proposals of future plans in the works. It was all so exhilarating. I finally made my way back to Agent Hotchner's office. I knocked slowly, trying to take one final breath before I began my work.

The door opened a few seconds later. "Oh, hello Penelope," Hotchner greeted me with the same expression he had every time. His face was hard and stern. I couldn't help but wonder why I acted in such a way. It was almost as if he had never smiled before. "Walk with me and I'll introduce you to the rest of the team." He said, scurrying out of his office. He was a fast man.

Following him as quick as I could, I could feel that these heels were not going to do me any justice. They flopped off my feet as I tried to keep up with Agent Hotchner. Suddenly, he stopped. I almost ran into him because of my shoe debacle. Looking down, I decided that I should just take off my shoes until we made it to the team. Slipping them off, I grabbed hold of them in my hands and swiftly chased after Agent Hotchner as he moved through a security doorway.

"Welcome to the BAU." He said as we stopped at a set of doors. I could see there were people waiting around in the room. Agent Hotchner took his card and swiped it, allowing him to push open the doors and let us in. I couldn't help but smile as I walked into the room of people who I assumed I would be working with as a team. I was to be their audio technician. I had slipped my shoes on before entering the room. Didn't want to give them the wrong impression.

I looked around at all the people sitting in the room. There was a small blonde girl, a small brunette girl, a thin boy with scraggly long dirty blonde hair, a gentleman with squinty eyes and thinning dark brown hair, Agent Hotchner, and a dark skinned built man… This was my team. I looked around at them all as I inched my way closer to them all, not realizing there was a rug there.

I felt my shoe snag on the rug but it was too late, I had lost my balance and was descending, face first into the floor and a pool of utter humiliation. I had always managed to fuck things up in my life and this was just another prime example. I sighed, waiting for the force of gravity to face plant me to the floor when I felt a hand catch mine. I opened my eyes to see how close I was to the ground before I was pulled backwards and back into my standing position, looking straight into the eyes of the brooding dark skinned man. He smiled at me, using his free hand to brush the hair out of my face. I couldn't help but smile back, though I'm not sure if I looked like I was actually smiling or if I was constipated. Regardless, he had saved me from the first day of humiliation on the job.

"Thank you…" I managed to say, focusing in on his face. It was well defined, particularly in his jawline. His cheeks were brushed with stubble but it seemed to make his face look more together. His eyebrows, one raised slightly higher than the other.

"No prob." He said, smiling again. The smile was breathtaking and his voice… Oh it was sultry. I could feel chills down my spine as he spoke, even so few words.

"Achem… Attention everyone, this is the new member of your team, Agent Penelope Garcia." Hotchner announced. "She will be the new audio analyst. Agent Garcia, these are your new team members." I smiled and did a little curtsey. "These are Agents Jennifer Jareau, Elle Greenaway, Dr. Spencer Reid, Jason Gideon, and Derek Morgan." He gestured to each when he said their names.

"It's so nice to meet all of you! I cannot wait to get started, I mean this is just…" I began to trail off realizing that I was starting to receive stares from the peanut gallery. "I mean, thank you for having me. I cannot wait to work with all of you." I composed myself a little more modestly.

After the introductions were over, I sighed heavily as the rest of the team went about their work. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around to see Agent Jareau. "Oh hey…" I said, hoping that she wasn't going to make fun of me for my _grand_ entrance.

"Hi… You know, we are all really happy to have you on the team. I'm new too so I understand how you are feeling but it will come with a little time. Perhaps we can work through it together." She smiled and gave me a sense of hope.

"Thanks Agent Jareau." I responded, breathing a little more rhythmically.

"Oh you don't have to call me that… Friends call me JJ." She responded. "Generally a lot of us go by last names when we are referring to each other in the work place. We only get technical when we are out in the field." She responded and I felt relief flood through me.

"Thanks JJ. I appreciate you reaching out to me." I responded. "This is just all so new to me and I guess I got a little excited."

She laughed a little. "You and me both. Welcome to the family, Garcia."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

After my first day at the BAU, I couldn't help but look back on what all had happened. I met a great team of investigators, made a new friend, and found a devilishly handsome coworker. There was something about Derek that just.. oohhh.. chilled me to the bone. He was the utter definition of "tall, dark and handsome." And the fact that he saved me from humiliation, well, that was a plus. I couldn't wait for what tomorrow brought… Though, even though it was my first day of work, it was my first day of WORK. We had been signed on to a new case that was centered around the Quantico area. A string of abductions and vicious rapes had begun. However, this last time around, the women succumbed to her wounds before she could be saved, dying in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Each attack more destructive that the last. Lacerations across the chest, arms, hands, neck, face, legs, abdomen; practically anywhere you imagine. Plus the bruising. The victims appeared to be beaten and lacerated multiple times at different intervals. There was no trace evidence on the victims, but it did appear that they had been bound at the arms with some form of adhesive. We would have to wait for trace to get back to us on what the substance was. The pictures were brutal.

I sat up all night thinking about what had been seen. I did finally get to sleep that night but not for long. Shortly after I drifted off, my alarm sounded. Groaning, I sat up in bed and began to mentally prepare myself for the day. It was going to be a long one, for sure. I did my normal routine, putting on a slightly more comfortable outfit and a flat pair of shoes… I wanted to avoid that mess again.

When I got to work, I noticed that the team was busy working on some profiling details. They asked me to go back and analyze the images of all the victims to see if I could find anything that stuck out to me in the images… I did what was asked of me, feeling queasy the entire time. I had had hoped that something would stick out initially so that I wouldn't have to continue the search but to no avail. I skimmed and scanned over each photo at least a dozen times before I picked up on my first clue. They were all wounded by the same perpetrator. Each of the victims that had come forward had the same circular cuts in their bruises, consistent with rings.

The ring that was clearly distinct was rather large. There was a smaller indentation in the center of the ring, suggesting a stone of some form, however, in the middle of the stone area, there was a distinct pattern that was left. I zoomed in the image and saw the shape of a "J" that was indented into each of the wounds. So, whoever the unsub was, they had a ring on with the letter "J" cut into it.

I went to present what I had found to Hotchner when a report came in about another victim… this time, she was murdered intentionally. My stomach churned as the images were sent to my desktop computer. I didn't know how many more images like this I could take. Technically, it was not my job to analyze photos. I was there for the express purpose of audio examination and the need to break into computers that had firewalls and other such defenses put up. Not to examine photos of murdered women. I knew it would pop up, but I just didn't realze how soon they would appear and how gruesome they would become.

I glanced over to JJ. She looked back at me and mouthed "Are you okay?" at me. I shook my head in response. After the debriefing of the case, Hotchner released us and I headed into my office, shaking. JJ chased after me, obviously seeing my distress. "Garcia!" She exclaimed. "What's going on?" I just shook my head once again. I didn't really want her knowing how much this was eating at me.

"It's… It's nothing… I just didn't get enough sleep last night…" I said, hoping that she would drop the subject… I was wrong.

"You were thinking about this case, weren't you?" She asked. I just sighed.

"Yeah… I just, I never expected to have to deal with this for my first case… I just can't get their images out of my head and then I think about it more and more and even when I try to think of something else, it always goes back to that.. And then I lay in bed alone in my home and just think about what they must have been thinking and I just… I don't know…" I rambled on and on until I realized that JJ wasn't the only one in the room and that I was sobbing.

JJ came over to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "It's going to be okay. Come here…" She said and wrapped her arms me, holding on to my still shaky torso. The dark shadow moved towards us. It was Derek Morgan.

"I… just… don't… know… what…to… do…"I said, trying to calm myself down, but utterly failing at it. JJ just held me tighter and Derek moved, kneeling down beside my chair.

"It's gonna be alright Garcia…" He whispered and played with my hair a little bit. I could feel the tension releasing in my body. I felt better… Not that I wanted to look at those photos, but I no longer felt like I was alone.

"Thanks guys… I just… I've never done this before and it's just scary." I finally said after a few deep breaths.'

JJ smiled at me, "Come with me. I want to show you my office." She said, taking me out of the computer lab area and into a small area. It was covered with stuffed animals, coloring books, and lots of colors. "It may not look much, but this is my office. I've always found that when cases bother me, like this one, it's best to surround yourself with things that distract you from the evil in the world." She said, handing me one of the stuffed animals. I smiled, holding it tightly to my chest. I tried to hand it back to her, but she gestured it towards me. "Keep it. You need something to start your own collections."

I went back to my office and thought about what JJ had said. Perhaps she was right.. I mean, my office is kinda dull right now anyways. Maybe if I added the "Garcia" touch to it, I would feel more comfortable while analyzing all these terrifying images. I thought of so many things that I could do to sprucing up my office and decided that was exactly what I was going to do.

After figuring out a list of things that I needed for my office, I went back to doing my analyzing. It was still gruesome but I was able to think so much more clearly. The new pictures were sitting on my computer. I opened the file and started looking through them. They were much worse than I imagined them to be. This poor girl was murdered violently. And the thing was, that didn't fit the unsub's motives. The cuts were too deep, the bruising was inconsistent and the circular marks… they were still there… But this just didn't fit… I scanned through the photos, one by one, surveying the damage this poor woman had endured when I saw something that scared me to my core.

"JJ! HOTCH! MORGAN! ANYONE!" I screamed, stepping back from my chair and just moving backwards.. JJ came running first, followed by Derek. Hotchner was the last to arrive, but I was a bit of a mess when he got arrived.

"What's wrong?" JJ asked, focusing on me. Derek came in and just looked at the computer screen and put his hand over his face.

"The…p-p-picture…" was all that I could manage to get out.

"Hotch, I have a feeling the UNSUB has an edge on this investigation." Morgan said when Hotchner arrived. Morgan gestured to the computer screen.

Hotch looked over at the screen to see what all the fuss was about. On the screen was an image taken of the victim's left wrist. Engraved in her arm were the words _Penelope Garcia_.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

_Oh God… The UNSUB knows me… He knows my name… He has attacked me… _I just sat on the floor of my office with half the team sitting around me. Despite my constant attempts to stop, I continued to shake, my whole body twitching profusely. The tears wouldn't stop either. This wasn't the first time I felt fear like this, but this was the first time that I couldn't control my emotions around the others. I felt a soft hand on my cheek. Looking over, I saw Morgan, wiping the tears from my face.

"Hey, now, it's going to be okay. I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He whispered, wiping more of the tears from my face. His touch was so soft, it almost felt like an angels. I tried to smile, but the feelings that I had kept me from doing so. I just leaned for him, wanting to be closer to him. Based on my body movement, he must have known what to do because he moved towards me, pulling me into his embrace. "I'm here, just let it out." He whispered again, softly, his lips brushing up against my ear. A tingle flew through my body, moving up and down my spine like lightning. I wanted so badly to do what he said, to just let it go, but there was something holding me back. Something that I could never tell anyone and could never forget. Even his hushed words could not help me do that.

Agent Hotchner walked back into my office after a brief absence. Due to this new evidence in the case, he needed to make sure that the proper precautions were taken to ensure the safety of his staff. "Alright, I just got off the phone with the chief of police. He wants to do a thorough investigation of the scene where the body was found to see if there are any more clues that the UNSUB may have left that could connect him to Agent Garcia. In the meantime, Garcia, it would be wise of you to stay with a friend, okay?" He looked at me and I managed to nod to him. I didn't really have many friends but I would definitely find somewhere to stay.

After all the messy drama of the day, I didn't feel up to doing anything. I just wanted to go somewhere and hide. JJ came over to me while I was still in Morgan's arms. "You can always stay with me if you need to or Elle. She would be happy to help you out." She said. I smiled awkwardly but smiled anyway.

"Thanks JJ. I'll probably take you up on that. Maybe I could bounce between houses so I'm not imposing." I said, finally calming myself down. I looked up at Morgan. "Thanks…" I said, turning around and stepping up on my tiptoes, kissing him on the cheek… "You have like, literally no idea how much you are helping." He just flashed that smile of his at me before returning to his serious face.

"I will make sure nothing ever happens to you." He said, lifting my hand in his and kissing it softly. I couldn't help but giggle a little. "Call me, sometime. We can go out and then you can stay with me for a little while." He said, walking back towards his office.

Once he was gone, I could feel an odd feeling in my stomach. It just kept feeling like something was fluttering… _Butterflies?_ Was I having butterflies in my stomach? From Morgan? _Oh dear…_ I thought as watched him walk away. I mean, he certainly was handsome but… I mean, he would never go for a girl like me. I wasn't considered to be a beautiful person. Overweight since childbirth and awkward as fuck. Nope, I gave up on love a long time ago.

I grabbed the teddy bear from my office and started over to Elle's office. I decided that I could ask her if she wouldn't mind me staying with her. I didn't really know much about her, but I guess if she let me stay with her, I would learn. Walking over to her, I thought about how I could ask so much of her but I really couldn't find the words to put it out in the open. As I approached her office, I could hear her on the phone. She was speaking relatively fast and it definitely wasn't in English. I knocked on the door.

_"__Mamá, Sí, lo sé. Mamá. Sí. Sí. Voy a estar allí. Está bien, mamá tengo que volver al trabajo. Besos. Adiós."_ She said, before hanging up her phone and looked up at me. "Oh hey, sorry, I was talking to my mom… She hates my job… Anyway, what can I do for you Penelope?" She said, looking at me. I sighed quietly. "Well, I was, just, uhh.. you know wondering if there was any way that I could possibly like sta—" I started but she cut me off. "Stay with me?" She said, pursing her lips into a light smile. "Of course. I have extra space. Plus, mama would love to meet you." She looked at me, waiting for a response. I smiled widely, unsure of what else to do. "Oh, thank you Elle. You have no idea how much this means to me! After this whole case, I am just completely shaken up and I just…" I realized that I had started rambling and trailed off. "When.. uhm.. When would you want me to come over?" "You can come anytime. I'm sure you'll need to get some of your things from home though." She smiled but that quickly faded as her phone rang again. "Ai! Sorry, my mama is calling again…" I stepped out of the room with just enough time to hear her begin talking again. _"¡Hola, lo que mamá?" _ Walking back to my office, still clinging to the bear, I felt a sight sense of relief. I would have a safe place to stay for a little while so I could focus on my work. I wondered if I would have to be taken off the case now that it appeared that I had a personal connection to the UNSUB. I could hope but I doubted it. JJ walked out of her office as I walked back to mine. "Ya talk to Elle?" She asked, walking next to me back to my office. "Oh yes! She said that I can stay there for a while." I smiled back at her. "Great. I'm glad to hear that you are going to be staying with someone. One quick question, do you speak Spanish?" "Ummm… No." I looked confused when she asked. That's a weird question to ask randomly. "Okay good. Her mom is Cuban, ya know. And she and Elle are completely fluent in Spanish and sometimes they like to talk completely in Spanish, mostly about really private things. I stayed with them once and they were talking about sex… Unfortunately, I am also fluent in Spanish so I knew exactly what they were saying. I didn't tell Elle that until I left. She was really embarrassed." She said, laughing a little as she recalled the event. _Oh goody, now if they decide to talk about me while I'm there, I will never know because I can't understand…_ I hoped that staying will Elle would be a good experience for me. I hadn't lived with anyone for a few years now since the accident. It might be good for me to learn how to live with people again. "I wouldn't worry too much. Her mom is really nice. You'll have a good time. Plus, her mom cooks and they invite some of us over to have dinner." She said, waiting outside my office as I got my stuff ready to leave. I needed to get everything to head over to Elle and plus, Hotch had told me to take the rest of the afternoon off and just try to relax a little. "Oh cool! That would be nice. Hey, do you know where Morgan is? I need to talk to him." I said as I grabbed my purse and keys to Esther. "Umm… I would check with Reid. He might be trying to get Reid's outlook on this situation." She said before beginning to walk back to her office. "Thanks!" I said, heading towards Reid's area. He and Morgan were staring at a clear glass board that was covered in individual photos of each of the survivors and the two victims. They had a big map that had a specific marking for each of the women. Each one was from a different area, not just the same cities but hours away from each other. I couldn't help but wonder who had so much time on their hands as to abduct women from all over the state. It was just hard for me to understand.

"You know what I don't understand is how this is connected to Garcia. Each of these vics shares similar qualities but she doesn't fit the MO for the UNSUB." Reid said as he continued to stare at the whiteboard and pictures. "Maybe he's doing this for her… Like trying to prove his superiority to her." He said, pulling his hand through his hair. I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach as he talked about what could have lead the UNSUB to commit such heinous crimes. It made it even worse that now he was considering the idea that the UNSUB was doing this for me…

I didn't want to hear anything else he had to say so I knocked on the door. "Umm excuse me Dr. Reid… Can I borrow Morgan for a minute?" I asked, feeling like I was back in college. I never really referred to anyone by their titles so it was odd for me to do that now.

"Oh you don't have to ask my permission." He said as Morgan turned towards me.

"What's up?" He asked softly, walking toward me.

"I just… Well… Hotch gave me the afternoon off and I need to go back to my place so I can get some stuff together so I can take it over to Elle's house and I don't exactly feel comfortable, uhm, you know, being alone…" I said, feeling pathetic for asking. "You don't have to be there… I don't even know why I am asking..." I said, turning to leave. Morgan caught my hand.

"All you had to do was ask, Garcia. I'll let Hotch know and we can go." His eyes were fixed on mine. "Never be afraid to ask me for anything." His voice sent sparks through my body. I got that tingly feeling again. The tingles continued as I watched him run over to Hotch and then come back towards me, extending his hand. "Ya coming?"

We walked out to the parking lot and I started to head towards Esther. Morgan walked over with me. But he didn't stop at Esther. He walked past her to the car beside her and opened the passenger side door. I looked at him, a little confused at what he was doing before I realized that he was going to drive. I locked the doors to my car and put them back in my bag before I got into his car. It was really nice. Decked out in smooth black leather and a hi tech sound system. It even still had the new car smell.

He got in the car and backed out of the garage. "You're going to have to give me directions. I'm not sure where you live at." He said, chuckling. I laughed a little and started navigating him to my home. It wasn't a terrible distance away but I wanted to enjoy every second of my alone time with Morgan. We talked and laughed the whole drive, sharing different interests that we had and what we had done before we worked at the BAU. He told me about his father and how he had worked as a police officer before being killed while on duty. I told him about my parents' fatal car accident and how I had just shut myself away. The discussions seemed never ending until we parked in my driveway. Sighing, we both got out, and made our way to the front door. I fiddled with my keys for a minute, trying to find the key to the door. I had way too many keys.

"Having some problems?" He chuckled.

"Yes… Too many keys…" I laughed back as I kept flittering through the keys and continually trying them.

"Well, we will just have to get you a separate ring for your house key, that way this never happens again." He said, his voice had a joking yet serious tone to it.

"That would be appreciated." I said, still messing with the damn keys. I put another one in and turned it, hearing the tumblers moving. "Ah ha! Found it!" I said, opening the door. I walked in, inviting Morgan in to the house too.

My house wasn't the cleanest it could be since I was the only one that ever had to experience it. I felt a few shades of embarrassment as I walked past a few pair of underwear and a couple bras that had been thrown about. This was definitely not what I had intended. I just wanted to pop in and get a few outfits and some toiletries to take to Elle's house. Instead, I was feeling more self-conscious every step I took.

"I'm sorry for the mess…" I said to myself, almost hoping that he wasn't looking around. "I wasn't expecting to be bringing anyone home… well, like ever." I said, heading towards my bedroom. He chuckled, still following me around. I knew there was a suitcase in my closet that I could grab and pack a few things in. It did make it all easier that I had all of my outfits picked out already so I didn't have to go through the hassle of picking out clothes.

Once I got to my room, I remembered how much of a mess it was. There were clothes everywhere as well as water bottles and bowls from cereal. I could feel my cheeks turning a darker shade of red by the second. Rushing over to my closet, I reached trying to grab the suitcase. Of course, I was too short. I needed to grab my stool but when I turned around; Morgan was there, already touching the suitcase. His biceps were peaked, stretching his shirt to it's limit. I felt my heart beat speed up as he moved closer to me, pulling the suitcase down with one quick flick of the wrist. He just stood there, looking down at me, his eyes fixed on mine.

"th..thank you…" I said, softly. His face was nearly touching mine now. My heart started beating faster. I could feel the flush of my cheeks grow warmer as we looked into each other's eyes. He looked at me as if he had never seen me before but at the same time knew everything about me. I felt him tracing up my arm with his hand but his eyes never faltered. It sent a chill up my spine but it felt good to be touched like that. His hand didn't stop at my arm, working its way up to my cheek. He brushed it softly, sweeping up and down with his pointer finger. I kept watching him as he used his left hand to pull me closer and holding my chin between his thumb and pointer finger with his right. "I… i…" I started saying but he didn't stop.

"I know…" He said and them he pulled me in, pressing his lips to mine. I closed my eyes and just let the fireworks start.


	6. BE BACK SOON!

Hello Fellow Criminal Minds Fans!

I just want to take a brief moment to thank you so much for all of your support for "Baby Girl." I am going to be taking a brief vacation so I'm not going to be able to update a new chapter for about a week. Hopefully I will be able to get Chapter 6 up before I leave!

Thanks again for everything! 3

All my love,

Ashley


	7. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

My dearest readers!

I cannot thank you enough for your following of "Baby Girl"! I do apologize for the fact that there hasn't been a post forever! I am getting ready to return to college and have been super busy! HOWEVER I do promise, there will be an update (or like four) as soon as I can get it all down for you!

Thanks again and all my love!

Ashley


	8. Chapter 6

I AM BACK! I am very sorry for the wait! I have been very very very busy with job training and being back at school! Thanks for the following! :D

Chapter Six

We stayed like that for what seemed like a blink of an eye but at the same time an eternity. Our lips moved in sync, caressing with each touch. Every pull away for breath had the same urgency to return. He was so close to me that I could hear his heart beating against my chest. Our hearts beat together, the pounding increasing as we stayed in such close proximity. His hands held me close, one around my back and the other knotted in my hair. I never wanted it to end.

When we finally broke the kiss, I couldn't help but giggle. I had never ever thought that anything like that would ever happen to me. Derek was WAY out of my league. He was strong, brooding, charming, handsome and loving. I was just… I was a little nobody who was never cared about. I'd been on my own for so long, I never thought that I would have anyone to take care of me and yet, here he was, making me feel something that I hadn't felt in a long time… loved.

"What's so funny?" he said, smiling, still holding me close.

"I just… I've never met anyone who actually… cared… you know?" I said. "It's been so long since I have had anyone who wasn't like repulsed by me… It was just unexpected.." I started rambling on… and he just sat there quietly. My heart raced a little. Had I offended him? Oh god… did I fuck this up already? I broke out of his grip and turned away, embarrassed with myself and the tears that were beginning to stream down my face. "I'm… I'm sorry if I've… uh.."

I tried to make full sentences out but when I turned back around, he put a finger on my mouth. "Shh. You didn't upset me… I just cannot believe that anyone could ever treat you the way that you have been treated in the past. Penelope… I… I… I'm sorry that you have been hurt… I promise, I will never hurt you like they have." He said, grabbing my hand and pulling me back into an embrace.

I sat there in his embrace for a long time. I could feel that there was so much tension that was being released from my body the longer I stayed there. "We should.. probably get my stuff…" I said, laughing lightly.

"You're probably right." He chuckled back.

We gathered up my things, tossing them into the suitcase in now particular order. I was never one to be orderly. Once it filled up, I zipped it and he grabbed it, pulling it back out to the car. I sighed, looking back at the house. It was the first time I was going to stay somewhere else since my parents had died. I remember returning to the house after they had passed. It was empty but I stayed there all the same. I had grown accustomed to the quiet and the loneliness. Staying with Elle would be interesting but I would have to learn how to deal with it.

I turned around to head over to the car when I heard someone shout my name in the distance. "Penelope!" My stomach churned a little bit. It was the voice of an old acquaintance of mine. We had known each other since we were younger, attending the same middle and high schools. He had always had a crush on me, which I had never really felt comfortable with. Even when he was with other girls, he still had his sights set on me. I cringed to turn around but did anyway.

"John… hi…" I said, not prepared for the fact that he was going to be right behind me. I jumped back about a foot or so. "God, you scared me."

"How are you? I heard you're working for the BAU now." He asked.

"I'm alright and yes I am… How did you find out?"

"Oh, good news travels fast, you know. I uh.. I just figured since you were in the neighborhood, I would see if you wanted to go get dinner sometime. I live right down the road from here."

My heart raced. Not again. Not again. Not again. I turned my head over to Derek, giving him a panicked look, hoping that he could come over and at least intimidate John. Thankfully, he caught on and ran over to my side, standing behind me, his hands on my hips. "I'm actually getting ready to leave for a little bit so I won't be around. BAU work is demanding." I responded.

His face fell. "Oh… So who is this?" He gestured to Derek.

"Agent Derek Morgan. I work with Agent Garcia." Derek responded, a stone cold look on his face. Derek was at least 6 inches taller than John, who had now taken a step back.

Looking Derek up and down, John finally responded, "Nice to meet you," before averting his attention back to me. "Well, if you ever want to hang out, just give me a call." John took out a piece of paper that was already prepared with his phone number on it and handed it to me. "Goodbye, Penelope." He said, staring into my eyes and smiling before turning around and walking back the direction from which he came.

I turned around and hid my face in Derek's chest. "Thank you…" I sighed. He kissed my forehead and pulled my hand back in the direction of his car. When we finally got back in, Derek looked at me sternly.

"Who was that?" he asked.

"He's a long story…"


End file.
